The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist

A Fable About Following Your Dream

Paulo Coelho

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · April 15, 2014

The extraordinary international bestseller. “It’s a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons."—Neil Patrick Harris, actor “Translated into 80 languages, the allegory teaches us about dreams, destiny, and the reason we are all here.”—Oprah Daily Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, this beloved work of philosophical fiction, The Alchemist, has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

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Who it’s for
A spare fable that turns personal direction into a quietly devotional reading experience.
Themes
dreams, destiny, self-discovery
Pacing
Reflective

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About this book

The extraordinary international bestseller.

Continue reading

“It’s a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons."—Neil Patrick Harris, actor “Translated into 80 languages, the allegory teaches us about dreams, destiny, and the reason we are all here.”—Oprah Daily Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, this beloved work of philosophical fiction, The Alchemist, has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a profound journey of spiritual self-discovery. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Quiet Allegory

A spare fable that turns personal direction into a quietly devotional reading experience.

Come here for

  • dream-chasing fable
  • faith-forward self-reflection

Expect

  • simple, allegorical prose
  • themes of purpose, selfhood, and belief

Where it sits

Visionary Fiction45%
Magical Realism39%
The Classics32%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Personal Success
  • The Classics
  • Literary Fiction
  • Visionary Fiction
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Holiday Fiction
  • Mind & Spirit
  • Inspiration & Personal Growth
  • Metaphysics
Authors
Paulo Coelho
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
April 15, 2014
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
dreams · destiny · self-discovery
Reading lane
Personal Success